Can’t Stop the Serenity-Orange County 2014 presented SERENITY and Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, with a live auction and prize drawings on Saturday, Sept. 20 and raised $1352.47 for Equality Now!

The event, now in its seventh year, was well attended by over 100 people and a great time was had by all. Lots of folks worked behind the scenes and at the actual event, but it’s all thanks to the people that attend that we are able to raise funds for this great charity.

CSTS OC is a team effort between CA Browncoats and SOCAL Browncoats and was, once again, expertly coordinated by Dawn.

Everyone involved would like to thank the following organizations/people for their generous support:

The venue, Starplex Cinemas Woodbridge Movies 5 is a great theater in Irvine, CA where, as usual, we were treated very well (thanks especially to John). Starplex HQ worked with us to make the event most cost effective and maximize our donation (Thanks Starplex!) If you want to catch a movie for a great price, you should give them a visit at 4626 Barranca Pkwy, Irvine 92604.

* 4RWorld Items made by survivors of human trafficking in support of organizations working to rescue victims of human trafficking and assist survivors

* Artist Jason Palmer, creator of beautiful Firefly and Serenity prints and lots of art inspired by popular culture http://www.serenityprint.com

* Artist Joey Spiotto (Jo3Bot), creator of the popular “River Tam and the Fireflies” album art and many other pieces inspired by popular culture http://www.jo3bot.com Check out his work exhibited at Gallery1988 in the Joss Whedon exhibit, including “The Shiny Little Fireflies” at http://nineteeneightyeight.com

* C.A.S. Convention for fans of Castle and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.taking place Nov. 8 and 9 at the LAX Four Points Hotel http://casconvention.com Presented by castletv.net and the California Browncoats.

Browncoats were once again mighty at San Diego Comic-Con International 2014. With your help, the direct donations totaled $1,681 for Kids Need to Read! They get that no matter what, plus, once our end-of-year accounting and con proceeds are figured, we’ll be able to send them a shiny check.

We started setup on Tuesday this year, and the extra day was really nice. In the past, we’ve had to watch the clock on Wed and were sometimes still finishing last minute preparation as preview night kicked off; this year we got done in plenty of time and were ready for what the con had to throw at us.

Wednesday preview night kicked off with brisk sales and lots of folks stopping by to enter our charity prize drawing. We had some really cool prizes this year; congrats to all the winners!

On Thursday, we had some Browncoat-friendly visitors at our booth. Nancy Holder signed some books for fans, and Jenna Busch came by to chat about Legion of Leia and some of her other projects. Then, in the evening, we held our annual screening of Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog with the semi-famous costume contest. Thanks to everyone who attended, entered the costume contest, and congrats to the winners. One thing brought to our attention was pictures (or a lack thereof). Next year we’ll designate an official photographer and do a better job of capturing the moment.

On Friday, Jane Espenson made an appearance to talk about her work on Firefly, and she brought along Eli Gonda, director of her current project, Husbands.

On Sunday, our friend Seanan McGuire (AKA Mira Grant) stopped by the booth to chat with fans about her work, including the amazing San Diego 2014: The Last Stand of the California Browncoats.

Also on Sunday, Marian Call made a short appearance at the booth and then led everyone outside for a short performance.

Lastly, we held our annual Browncoat Meeting Room and the demand far outstripped the supply of seats. Our apologies to those that did not get into the room; we’ve provided feedback to the Comic-Con staff and hopefully they’ll put us in a bigger room next year. Because of a technical glitch (as in, we forgot to bring pens), we skipped trivia bingo and just asked random trivia questions to random people. It was all very random. Graphic designer Dylan Hay-Chapman, designer of the Blue Sun logo among other things, was on hand to talk about behind the scenes stuff and answer questions about our beloved show. QMx was there and brought exciting news about the new Firefly Online game. See more about the game at https://keepflying.com/.

Once again, thanks to everyone who stopped by to to buy stuff, enter our prize drawing, or just say hello. We couldn’t do what we do without our fellow Browncoats. And a special thanks to all the folks who make the time to come to our booth to do signings, we really appreciate the support!

And another special thanks to all of the amazing volunteers that worked shifts at the booth, helped with setup and tear down, worked the Dr. H screening, or any of the other things we ask our volunteers to do. If you want to help out at a future event, please visit our Get Involved page for information.

The California Browncoats will be returning to Comic-Con International in July. We’ll be carrying our usual awesome selection of Browncoat merchandise at the booth, and will also host some games to help us raise money for charity. We’ve got some new stuff this year, including a new pint glass, so make sure you stop by.

We’re putting the final touches on our prize packs for the daily prize drawing. Three chances to win every day, plus everyone is entered into the grand prize drawing. We’ll also have prizes for our charity BINGO game on Sunday in the meeting room, and for the Dr. Horrible costume contest during the Dr. Horrible screening on Thursday. Follow us on twitter at for chances to win more stuff throughout the convention.

We’ll be at tables A-07/A-08, same place we’ve been for the last few years, in the back, right hand corner of the exhibit hall.

Stop by and join us at our panels (information subject to change pending publication of the SDCC guide):

8:30-10:00pm Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog Sing-Along Join the fun and sing along as the California Browncoats screen Internet sensation Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog. Enter the horrible costume contest and win horrible prizes in four categories. Best Dr. Horrible, Captain Hammer, Penny, and “other” character from the show; and a grand prize awarded to one well prepared individual for “Best in Show”. DO NOT BOUNCE! Room 6BCF.

3:00-4:00pm Browncoats Meet-up Stop by the meeting room this year to hang out with Browncoats and likely hear some news from around the ‘verse. Wear a cunning hat. Who knows what could happen? There’s no better way to share your love for Firefly, and it’s a lot more practical than starting a fight in an Alliance-friendly bar on U-day. Room 29A

Dylan Hay-Chapman, the graphic designer who did the Blue Sun logo, Jayne’s shirts, flags, and other items from Firefly, will be at the meeting room.

California Browncoats, Inc. is a 501(c)3 non profit charity organization. All of the people planning the event and running the booth and panels are unpaid volunteers. We are proud to continue our efforts to raise money for worthwhile charities. Since our inception in 2007, we have donated over $164,000 to various charity organizations.

California Browncoats exhibited again at the WonderCon 2014 convention in Anaheim, CA. We had a great time meeting fellow Browncoats, playing charity games, and raising money for Kids Need to Read.

The team arrived at the convention center Thursday afternoon for setup day. This was our second year exhibiting in a corner booth instead of our regular fan table space and the WonderCon staff set us up in a great location. We managed to get most of the booth set up before they kicked us out at nine and we returned early Friday morning to complete the job.

It’s always fun to see the booth space transform from a 10X10 area with nothing in it to our home for the next three days. After working out a couple of logistical issues, we were ready for business!

Board members discussing the upcoming chain of events.

The backdrop is up!

Mostly done.

This year marked the return of the world famous (slight exaggeration) chopstick pull. Players pull a set of chopsticks out of the treasure chest and if they were marked, they win a prize. And everyone gets to keep their chopsticks!

The chopstick game

We also ran our prize drawing, one lucky winner went home with a set of pint glasses, an Adam Baldwin autographed copy of Serenity, a replica Mal pistol from QMx, and a shiny grocery bag to carry all the loot.

Prize Drawing Winner!

For the first time, we ran our Challenge Coin Challenge game. A scavenger hunt of sorts, players completed tasks (like giving to a charity) or took pictures (like a superhero eating a burrito). Complete 15 of the challenges and win one of our exclusive 57th Overlanders Challenge Coins. Everyone had a fun time completing the challenge.

Challenge Coin awarded!

You could even win stuff just by following us on Twitter!

Pint Glass winner!

Pint Glass winner!

On Saturday, Nancy Holder and Jane Espenson both stopped by to sign stuff and chat with fans. Thanks much to both for their continued support, it’s always great to have them stop by and visit for a bit.

It must be bunnies!

Thanks to everyone who made a purchase at the booth, played one of our charity games, or just stopped by and said hi. Thanks to you, we raised over $1700.00 for Kids Need to Read.

We hope to see a bunch of you at San Diego Comic Con in July. Until then, keep flying! Oh, and check out this tiny Predator.

We want to make sure to give a big Browncoat THANK YOU for the generosity of several donors to the “Can’t Stop the Serenity-Orange County 2013″ event held last fall.

Will and Holly of Alakazam Comics [http://www.alakazamcomics.com/] are big Browncoats, and have been generous supporters of CSTS-OC for years, helping publicize the event, and making donations for auction and/or drawings. This year was no exception. In addition to lots of promoting of CSTS-OC, they once more donated items for the drawings, including a complete set of the Serenity Collectible Trading Card Set. Alakazam Comics is located in Irvine across from UCI in the University Center on Campus Dr. They are not far from the Trader Joe’s.

The Fallen Stars, SoCal rockband led by Browncoats Tracy and Bobbo, donated their wonderful (and rockin’) performance of music from their Firefly-inspired “Leaves on the Wind” project, the first EP of which launched at CSTS-OC. They donated proceeds from sales of their EP as well. Check out their website where you can listen to their music, and name your own price to download their songs. You can also find out about upcoming shows.

Chris Thorne of the Write Brothers, Inc. [http://www.write-bros.com/], Academy Award winners and innovators of writing software for more than 30 years, reached out to CABC to generously donate valuable software for prize drawings. Two lucky winners took home one copy each of acclaimed programs “Movie Magic Screenwriter” and “Dramatica Story Expert”–a writer’s jackpot!

It’s been awhile since we put out a newsletter, and we’ve got quite a bit of information to share. So let’s get to it…

Can’t Stop the Serenity Orange County

CSTS-OC was a big success. A sold out crowd of fans got together at the Starplex Woodbridge in Irvine CA to hear some live music from The Fallen Stars; watch our favorite movie, Serenity; and see the “Out of Gas” episode of Firefly. Despite some technical difficulties getting “Out of Gas” on the screen (it got done, just took some extra time), everyone had fun and we raised over $3500.00 for Equality Now.

Long Beach Comic and Horror Convention

For the 2nd year in a row CABC exhibited at LBCC in Long Beach, CA. Crowds were sparse and sales were light, but we still had fun playing our Browncoat trivia game, hosting Nancy Holder and Michele Boyd, and raising a few dollars for Equality Now.

Annual Board Meeting

CABC held its annual board meeting in November and we are pleased to announce the board of directors for the 2013-2014 year:

President: Dwight Bragdon

Treasurer: Shawn Tutt

Secretary: Rebecca Safier

Director: Ido Carmel

Director: Tabin Mann

Director: Vanessa Singleton

Director: Christina Tamplin

Director: Lorelei Tutt

The board wishes to thank Arielle Kesweder and Dawn Anderson for their good works as past board members.

New Newsletter Provider and Format

You may have noticed that this newsletter looks a little different. We’ve switched from Fan Bridge to Mail Chimp and changed the way we generate the newsletter. Mail Chimp will automatically generate a monthly newsletter based on our blog posts. If you want more up to date information, you can subscribe to our blog from out web site, www.californiabrowncoats.org.

Volunteers

We’ve eliminated the CABC Volunteers Yahoo group in favor of a subgroup on our newsletter. If you’re interested in volunteering, please click the Update Subscription Preferences and make sure the volunteer checkbox is checked. We’re always looking for folks to help out at the various events we exhibit at.

Around the ‘Verse

Fanboy Comic’s Week in Review podcasts returned for it’s forth season on Monday January 27th with special guests: Georges Jeanty (Serenity: Leaves on the Wind, Buffy: Seasons 8 and 9, The Joker’s Daughter) and Camden Toy (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, The Bay)

You can find the podcast here: http://fanboycomics.net/index.php/podcasts/fbs-week-in-review/item/3274

That’s it for now. Our next event will be WonderCon in Anaheim, CA in April. Hope to see a bunch of you there.

San Diego Comic-Con 2013 was a success! We had a great time talking to everyone who came to our booth. Some of them were new fans and some were familiar faces but everyone helped raise money for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. In total we raised $2,362.76 in donations from you guys, proceeds from our merchandise will be added to that total at the end of the year.

Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along-Blog

This year was the 5th anniversary of Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along-Blog. We know, we can’t believe it’s been five years already either! Felicia Day recorded us a sweet and funny video reminiscing about her Dr. H days and thanking the fans for their continued interest in Dr. Horrible.

Our costume contest had four categories: Dr. Horrible, Penny, Captain Hammer, and others (ELE members, groupies, Bad Horse Choir). We also had a special category for children dressed up at Dr. Horrible characters.

Signings

We had quite a few signers at our booth this year. Our first signers for the convention were the wonderful Jane Espenson and Brad Bell. We were selling copies of the Husbands graphic novel that they both co-wrote. Other signers were Camden Toy, Sandeep Parikh, Michelle Boyd, Seanan Mcguire, Belle Holder, Jose Molina, and Marian Call. All signers asked that, instead of giving money to them, the fans donate what they could to St. Jude.

Can’t Stop The Serenity: Orange County

We mentioned in the last newsletter that Can’t Stop the Serenity: Orange County is set for Saturday, Sept. 21 but now we have a few more details! The big news is that we will be screening Firefly episode “Out of Gas”! We are very excited that we are able to show it at our CSTS with permission from Twentieth Century Fox. We will also have live music from The Fallen Stars, a SoCal band just back from a tour of Europe whose work includes Firefly inspired music. There will be an auction and door prizes as well.

It all starts at 7:00 pm at Starplex Woodbridge Movies 5. Tickets ($15) are on sale now through the event webpage and donations are also gratefully accepted to benefit Equality Now.

Just a reminder that if you are interested in putting on a CSTS event in your town California Browncoats is happy to help and sponsor your event. If you are interested, please email info@californiabrowncoats.org

Long Beach Comic-Con

We will be exhibiting at Long Beach Comic-Con for the second time. This year the convention is November 23rd & 24th at Long Beach Convention Center. Tickets for the weekend are only $40 and can be purchased at the LBCC website. We will have our usual assortment of Firefly related books, shirts, and knick-knacks.

We Want You!

We wouldn’t be able to do everything we need to without volunteers. If you are interested in helping us out during a convention or another California Browncoats event please head over to our volunteerYahoo group to keep up with volunteer announcements. You don’t need a Yahoo account or need to join the group to see the messages.

Please join us for our charity screening event to benefit Equality Now featuring

Firefly episode “Out of Gas”

and Joss Whedon’s Serenity

Yes, you read that correctly. We are thrilled that this year’s Can’t Stop the Serenity-Orange County (CSTS-OC) will include a screening of the Firefly episode “Out of Gas”!!! This is a very rare opportunity to see Firefly on the big screen, and this episode is the one Joss Whedon has often said is his favorite! Of course we will also be screening Serenity (Joss Whedon’s first feature film, also known as the Big Damn Movie).

On top of that, we will have live music from The Fallen Stars, a Southern California band fresh off a European tour, whose work includes several great songs inspired by Firefly (visit their website to hear songs, watch videos, and learn about the band). We will also have a live auction and door prizes, and shiny merchandise for sale! And all of this fun feels even better because it benefits Equality Now.

Tickets are $15 each. Advance ticket sales are now closed. Tickets will be sold at our table in the lobby (not at the theater box office), while supply lasts. If you have already purchased your tickets, you may pick them up at our table in the lobby of the theater (not the box office).

If you are not able to attend, but would like to support our cause, we would welcome a donation in any amount (just click on the Donate button). Thank you so much!

Help Spread the Word!

You can share a link to this page by email, Facebook, Twitter, etc, and/or you can use one of these flyers/promos to post on bulletin boards, leave on freebie tables, or pass on to friends. If you tell even one more person, it’s a big help! Thanks!

All proceeds of CSTS-OC will go to Equality Now, whose mission is to work for the protection and promotion of the human rights of women and girls around the world. Working with grassroots women’s and human rights organizations and individual activists since 1992, Equality Now documents violence and discrimination against women and mobilizes international action to support efforts to stop these abuses. Equality Now is rated 4 stars by Charity Navigator.

“Browncoats” are fans of the television show Firefly (2002, created by Joss Whedon) and the movie Serenity (2005), which continues the Firefly universe in a feature film (Joss Whedon’s first). Can’t Stop the Serenity is an annual worldwide charity screenings event in which dozens of locations around the world host screenings of Serenity to raise money for Equality Now. Can’t Stop the Serenity first launched in 2006 and since then has raised more than $800,000 for Equality Now. You do not have to be a Browncoat to have a great time at Can’t Stop the Serenity! Each year, while most of the attendees of CSTS-OC are Browncoats, there are always quite a few folks new to Firefly or Serenity who come on out and have a great time.

Starplex Woodbridge Movies 5 is a wonderful venue for CSTS-OC! They always treat us so well! And bonus: Parking is free at the shopping center. The theater has a full service concession stand with popcorn, drinks, $1 hot dogs, candy, nachos, etc.

The evening will also include an exciting auction and prizes, with merchandise for sale!

All this fun feels even better because we are raising money for Equality Now, the organization fighting to promote and protect the human rights of women and girls around the world.

CSTS-OC will once again be at the Starplex Woodbridge Movies 5 at 4626 Barranca Pkwy Irvine, CA 92604. Parking is FREE and plentiful! Hot dogs are $1! The theater staff is always very helpful and treat us so well.

Tickets are $15 each. Your purchase online in advance for will call tickets is appreciated, but tickets will also be available for sale that night. If you cannot attend, but would like to support Equality Now with your donation, you can use the donate button below. Thank you for your support!

Please spread the word about this fun evening for a worthy cause – see you there!

Comic-Con is the biggest geek gathering in America and every year we try to give you something special for stopping by the Browncoat booth and donating to charity. This year, we’re going to have two all new exclusives!

Shiny! Pint Glass

First up is our shiny new pint glass. Literally. Produced by the California Browncoats in a very limited run, you can get this exclusive 15 oz. pint glass for a $8.00 donation to The Dyslexia Foundation. The Dyslexia Foundation is supported by Jewel Staite, and we felt this particular item would remind you both of her, and our favorite Firefly mechanic, Kaylee. Get yours quick, there are only 99 available.

Firefrog Print

Our next exclusive is an out of this world mash-up. Recent Browncoat and Relentlessly Cheerful Artist James Hance has done this awesome Firefrog print just for Comic-Con. It features your favorite Firefly class ship Serenity and its crew mashed into the Muppet world. This 8×10 heavy cardstock print is limited to only 200 copies and can be yours for a $10.00 donation. We’re going to send 100% of that donation split equally to all 5 charities we are supporting at Comic-Con this year. That means you can walk away with a cool exclusive and $2.00 will go to each of this year’s charities: Equality Now, Kids Need to Read, Marine Corps – Law Enforcement Foundation, The Al Wooten Jr. Heritage Center, and The Dyslexia Foundation. That makes this a win-win situation, and we all know Mal…er…Kermit…uh…The Captain likes to win!

These exclusives won’t stick around long, and when they’re gone, there won’t be any more produced. Hurry on over to tables A7/A8 and get yours!

Just 1 month after our first successful CSTS event of 2011, we are proud to announce Can’t Stop the Serenity San Diego to benefit Equality Now. We will be screening Serenity and the 2011 CSTS intro DVD featuring Joss Whedon (on the DVD, not in person). Local musician Eben Brooks will open the night with a few songs. We’re also going to have a ‘Thank you for donating’ prize drawing, including the grand prize of a 2011 CSTS Global poster signed by Joss Whedon, Nathan Fillion and more! This is your chance to see Serenity on the big screen, hang out with Browncoats from around the world (it is the week of Comic-Con), and get some shiny merchandise, all while supporting Equality Now.

Wednesday, July 20th 8:00 PM

Tickets are now on sale for $15 each at Fandango! Or pick them up at the theater box office. All ticket sales will be handled by the theater/Fandango.

100% of the proceeds from all tickets sales, merchandise and donations after theater & merchandise expenses will be sent to Equality Now.

Thank You! Prize Drawing

Those attending the Can’t Stop the Serenity San Diego Event on July 20th will have a variety of ways to give money to Equality Now. The goal of our CSTS events, besides giving you a chance to see Serenity on the big screen, is to raise money and awareness for Equality Now. To say thank you for helping us raise money and awareness, we like to give you something back (or a chance at something).

First off is our Thank You Prize Drawing. For every $2 you donate you will get 1 entry in the drawing and have a chance at 10 different prize packages or the grand prize. You can enter the drawing at our table in the lobby, or from one of our volunteers in the theater. Thank you to our local andglobal sponsors!

The California Browncoats will once again have a wide range of events and appearances planned at Comic-Con. Check below for our schedule of events. We will be updating this page as we receive appearance confirmation and information.

Events

Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog - The California Browncoats will host the screening of this fan-favorite Internet sensation. See why Joss Whedon’s (Dollhouse, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) first foray into webisodic “television” was the talk of the town with critics and fans alike in 2008. Be prepared for a night of singing and surprises hosted by the fans who know what you like best. Dr. Horrible stars Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother), Nathan Fillion (Castle, Firefly), and Felicia Day (The Guild) and is written by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon (Dollhouse), Zack Whedon (Fringe), and Maurissa Tancharoen (Dollhouse). Thursday, July 21. Room 6BCF. 8:30 – 10:00 PM.

Browncoat Meeting Room – Fans of Firefly and Serenity are welcome to join the California Browncoats. We will have announcements about new happenings from all over the ‘Verse, including shindigs, products, and Browncoats: Redemption. Then stick around for some entertainment provided by Browncoat-friendly musician Marian Call. You never know what else might happen! Sunday, July 24. Room 32AB, 2:00-4:00 p.m.

Freebies – We don’t want you to walk away from our tables empty handed (besides all the swag you purchase). That means we’ve got some great free items you can pick up when you stop by and visit. These items will be in limited supply and given out at random times every day. But really, is it a bad thing stopping by multiple times during the convention? Hint, follow us on Twitter to know when we put the freebies out.

MORE EVENTS AND GUESTS INFORMATION COMING SOON!

Keep checking here for updates on events and guests who will be appearing at our booth. Also, follow us on Twitter for live updates if we get any surprise guests at our table.

Those attending the Can’t Stop the Serenity Los Angeles Event on June 25th will have a variety of ways to give money to Equality Now. The goal of our CSTS events, besides giving you a chance to see Serenity on the big screen, is to raise money and awareness for Equality Now. To say thank you for helping us raise money and awareness, we like to give you something back (or a chance at something).

First off is our Thank You Prize Drawing. For every $5 you donate you will get 1 entry in the drawing and have a chance at 17 different prize packages. You can enter the drawing at the prize table in the lobby, or from one of our many volunteers in the theater. Thank you to our local and global sponsors!

All entries must be received by 8PM in order to be in the prize drawing.

Merchandise

There will also be a wide assortment of merchandise available for you to peruse and purchase. Tables on the left side of the lobby as you enter will be laden with T-shirts, buttons, magnets, posters, prints, postcards and more. All proceeds benefit Equality Now.

We are very pleased to announce that the Can’t Stop the Serenity Los Angeles Event will be broadcast live on the web. ComiCenter Live, the online podcast talk show, will be bringing you every minute of the live events from the stage. ComiCenter host, and our event MC, Atom! Freeman and the ComiCenter crew will have multiple cameras to capture every moment. There will also be footage from around the event and interviews with attendees. Stay tuned for details and how you may be able to participate in the event from anywhere in the world!

A huge thank you to ComiCenter Live who are donating all their services, time and crew to make this live stream possible.

Can’t Stop the Serenity Los Angeles is going to be a special night, so we felt something extra was needed for all fans, attending or not. We are honored to have popular graphic artist Adam Levermore design the CSTS LA Logo. You can now purchase shirts, mugs, bags, buttons, magnets, and more featuring this art. Even if you aren’t going to the event, you can show your support by buying one of these products. We are sending 100% of the profits from all sales of this design to Equality Now.

But act quickly! We will only have them on sale until June 30th, 2011!

Note: This is the only way to get these shirts. We will not have them for sale at the event itself. We will only have buttons and magnets with this logo for sale at the event.

Note #2: We will have a very limited quantity of the Global CSTS Men’s and Women’s shirts available at the screening.

All profits from the sales of these products through June 30th will be counted in the total raised for the CSTS Los Angeles Event.

Final Update: We are proud to announce that CSTS Los Angeles raised $11,000 for Equality Now. The actual amount raised after expenses was just under $11,000, so the California Browncoats board added the last bit to get to a nice round number. A huge thank you to all the hard work of our volunteers, to our tireless and inspiring lead organizer Therese Magnani, to all the attendees and their generous donations, to ComicCenter for broadcasting the event, to all our wonderful sponsors, and to the special guests who spent time with us that night. See you next year!

The California Browncoats are once again taking part in the Can’t Stop the Serenity worldwide charity event. 2010 is a special year, the milestone 5th year of CSTS! To celebrate, CABC decided to host a CSTS event during the largest pop culture event in America: San Diego Comic-Con.

This also serves as a celebration of other milestones and anniversaries close to Browncoats and CABC. 5 years ago at Comic-Con, Joss Whedon screened a completed Serenity for the first time, a mere 2 days after it was finished. 2005 also saw the first Browncoat presence at Comic-Con. That year, Browncoats from across California helped to raise over $12,000 for Equality Now. As part of our Year of Equality Now, the California Browncoats are proud to host the San Diego Can’t Stop the Serenity event to benefit Equality Now.

And so, we present the details and ticket purchasing information you need:

No matter what, you keep that set of chopsticks! (Everyone’s a winner!)

If your chopsticks are marked with white at the tip, you win an additional prize! You can choose any one prize from the prize bin that will be presented to you.

That’s it! Donate to EN, get a set of chopsticks, and maybe you’ll go home with something extra. We’ll try and get a list of the prizes here before WonderCon, but if not, you can check them out at the booth. Let’s just say we’ve raided the CABC Prize Vault for some rare, exclusive, and usually signed items. For a paltry $5 suggested donation, how could you not play this game?!?!

The California Browncoats are once again raising money for Joss Whedon’s favorite charity, Equality Now. This will be our first fundraising event in the “Year of Equality Now” we announced last year. As always we will be taking donations, offering free gifts, giving away prizes and selling shiny merchandise. Stop by our booth at Tables F9/F10 and help us support Equality Now!

Ways to donate:

1. Straight cash donation. We will send 100% of the money you donate directly to Equality Now. And if you donate $15 or more, we’ll give you an exclusive Browncoat RuMe bag as a Thank You gift.

3. Buy items specifically marked as “proceeds to Equality Now” and you’ll get something cool and we’ll send 100% of the proceeds to Equality Now. Items include the all new and exclusive Beverage Wrench and Carabiner.

A fellow Browncoat who is unfortunately unable to attend this weekend’s Serenity Salute convention hosted by Creation Entertainment has generously donated her Gold Weekend front row tickets to California Browncoats to be auctioned off for charity. That’s right, you heard it folks, FRONT ROW! Specifically seats 21 & 22 in Row A.

The auction will start tomorrow, Thursday, November 19th at noon on eBay and will be a one day only auction. 100% of the winning bid amount will benefit Kids Need to Read. The California Browncoats will cover all auction costs. Check back here for the auction link when it goes live, or visit our eBay page.

Serenity and Firefly Salute is this weekend November 21st-22nd at the Marriott LAX Hotel in Los Angeles and guests include Morena, Jewel, Adam, Alan and more! The winning bidder will need to provide his/her own transportation and lodging for the convention and will need pick the tickets up in person at the convention on Saturday morning.

The Gold Weekend tickets are “deluxe packages for those that want to enjoy the entire weekend in the very best way”. Included are autographs, special events, etc. Check out all the details on the Creation site.

A huge thank you to the fan who is turning her loss into a wonderful gesture and donation for KNTR!

The California Browncoats are proud to announce the total raised for Waterkeeper Alliance at San Diego Comic-Con in 2009. Thanks to the support of attendees and fans, we will be sending $10,000! The breakdown of the donation is as follows:

Donations – $5,464.08

Exclusive Serenity Shirt sales – $3,174.00

CABC Donation – $1,361.92

We gave away 176 Exclusive Water Bottles as a free gift with a minimum $15 donation. The CABC donation is taken from sales of other items not specifically designated for a charity.

Thank you to everyone who volunteered, donated and helped spread the word about Waterkeeper Alliance!

The California Browncoats are proud to announce the final donation amount from all 4 Southern California Can’t Stop the Serenity screenings. 100% of the proceeds after expenses (theater rental, merchandise, etc.) benefit Equality Now. The total raised is $6,779.61! The breakdown by city is as follows:

Los Angeles – $2,005.04

Orange County – $979.54

San Diego – $1,921.40

Riverside – $1,873.54

We would like to thank all the SoCal and San Diego Browncoats who volunteered and organized the CSTS screenings. Thank you to all the attendees who bought tickets, merchandise and donated to Equality Now!

The California Browncoats are proud to announce the donation total to Equality Now from our fundraiser at WonderCon this year. Thanks to all the donations and support from fans and attendees we are sending $2,986.73 to Equality Now. This breaks down to $2,613.46 from donations and $373.27 from sales of specific items (Firefly keychain, WonderCon shirt and SF CSTS poster). We gave away 51 exclusive USB drives (free with a minimum $30 donation) and a ton of prizes in our free spin the wheel game.

In 2005, a dedicated group of fans came together to promote Joss Whedon’s upcoming movie Serenity, their reward for years of faith that Firefly could live on. Empowered by the return of the ‘verse, the fans knew they could do more, and chose to also raise money for Equality Now, an organization working to end violence against girls and women around the world.

Their hard work carried on through the years, spurred on by charitable work, inspiring others to follow their lead. This included the formation of the California Browncoats, Inc (CABC). We keep working to direct the power of our fandom toward raising awareness and money for charities. Thanks to the generous support of the Browncoat community, we’ve been able to raise over $100,000 for charities like Equality Now, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Marine Corps-Law Enforcement Foundation, Kids Need to Read, and Waterkeeper Alliance.

To celebrate the upcoming 5-year anniversary of Serenity and Browncoat fan tables at California pop culture conventions, CABC would like to take a moment today to announce their plans to make 2010 the Year of Equality Now.

Each fund-raising event CABC hosts in 2010 will support Equality Now and its vital mission. We look forward to a year filled with the energy, determination and positive effect on our world that is a significant part of being a Browncoat. No power in the ‘verse can stop us.

During the CABC meeting room, Nathan Fillion showed up as a surprise guest. After answering questions, he took the time to pose with fans for some group photos. If you were in one of the photos and want a copy, here is what you do.

Go to this Flickr set of the photographer The One True b!X. Find the photo you are in and click on the “All Sizes” button. Then click on the “Original” link. And finally, click on “Download the Original Size” to save the photo to your computer.

Be the coolest kid in the park when you bring out this 26oz Stainless Steel Water bottle. The design first appeared on exclusive Browncoat t-shirts back in 2006, and has been revamped for the cool blue of the water bottle.

A minimum$15 donation to Waterkeeper Alliance is all it will take to get your green hands on this brand new product! Original design by Browncoat fan-favorite artist, Adam Levermore.

The ONLY place you can get this item is from the CABC table (A7/A8) at San Diego Comic-Con. We have produced only 250 bottles and we know they’ll go fast, so don’t dawdle or you’ll find yourself high and dry once we’re sold out!

The California Browncoats are proud to offer another exclusive item at Comic-Con 2009, We’ve created a faithful cardstock replica of the hat Ma knit for Jayne. And put it…on a stick! And we’re calling it – Jayne Hat on a Stick. We’re simple folk like that.

Here’s where the deal gets sweet. This ain’t no 7% and sharing a bunk nonsense. This exclusive is FREE! Yes, you heard us right: FREE! Our course, we will ask you to dig deep and give a credit or two for Waterkeeper Alliance. But we won’t break out Vera if you just want to get the JHoaS. So pick one up from our tables (A7/A8) at any of the random times throughout the convention when we put them out. Afraid you’ll miss out? Don’t fret, we’ll be announcing when they are up for grabs on Twitter.

The California Browncoats are proud to announce another Comic-Con 2009 Exclusive Item. To assist you in your evil plans, we have Dr. Horrible Goggle Masks. These glossy cardstock masks feature the artwork of fan-favorite artist Adam Levermore and are officially approved by Team Horrible (Mutant Enemy). No self-respecting Evil League of Evil applicant will want to leave Comic-Con without one.

But wait, what is our evil plan to get these to you? Simple really. They’re FREE! All you have to do is pick one up from our tables (A7/A8) at any of the random times throughout the convention when we put them out. Afraid you’ll miss out? Not to worry, we’ll be announcing when the goggles are up for grabs on Twitter! We will of course ask for a small donation to Waterkeeper Alliance if you’re feeling charitable. A donation is not required though, as these are FREE!

There’s going to be one more chance for you to get your gloves on this awesome exclusive. Every attendee of our screening of Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog will be given a Goggle Mask. That’s right, 1000 fans who show up to sing their hearts out will walk out with more than just the feeling of a job well done.

The California Browncoats are proud to offer for the first time anywhere an all new officially licensed Serenity T-Shirt. This shirt features the Chinese characters for Serenity on the front and a small image of the ship Serenity on the back. It will only be available at Comic-Con 2009 from the California Browncoats. Check out the rest of our Comic-Con plans for more exclusives and events.

To make this shirt even more special, we are donating 100% of the proceeds of sales to Waterkeeper Alliance!

It is available in Men’s (S – 4XL) and Women’s Junior (S-2XL) styles for $25.00 each.

Click on the buttons below to purchase your tickets to any (all!) of the screenings. All tickets will be on sale until 3 days before the screening. Each ticket is $15 and 100% of the proceeds after expenses will be donated to Equality Now.

The California Browncoats will once again have a table at Creation Entertainment’s Salute to Firefly and Serenity. We will have information about the charities we support, past fundraisers and future events.

We will also have a limited number of copies of the Serenity Better Days #1 exclusive variant cover available. They will be $10.00 each and 100% of the proceeds will be donated to Kids Need to Read.

We look forward to see all the Browncoats attending this special event.

The California Browncoats are proud to once again be working with Adam Baldwin to raise money for the Marine Corps – Law Enforcement Foundation. The iconic knitted Jayne Hat from Mr. Baldwin’s own collection is now on eBay.

The California Browncoats are pleased to announce the total amount raised for Kids Need to Read at our Comic-Con 2008 fundraiser. Thanks to the exclusive comic sales, donations, sponsors and eBay sales, we will be donating:

$10,565.43

This donation will go to KNTR for them to use in their mission of providing books to libraries and other institutions in need. It was a pleasure working with PJ Haarsma, KNTR and all their volunteers.

In a change from previous years, the California Browncoats will be giving only one ticket per person in our Thank You Prize Drawing at Comic-Con 2008. As usual our Thank You drawing will have a plethora of incredible prizes you can win. Stop on by our booth and pick up your free entry during the convention.

Your badge will be punched when you pick up your entry. If you do not want your badge punched, you will not receive an entry.

Entries will be available at tables A7/A8 beginning at 6 PM July 23rd, 2008 until 12 PM (noon) on Sunday July 27th, 2008. Entries will only be available during convention/dealer room hours.

You do not need to be present to win.

The Prize Drawing winners will be announced at 3:00 PM on Sunday July 27th at tables A7/A8.

Winners will be posted at tables A7/A8 before the convention ends. Winners will also be posted on this site after the convention ends.

Entries must be legible and contain valid contact information, or they will be considered void.

If you can not be contacted or do not contact us (California Browncoats) within 10 days of the prize drawing, your winnings will be forfeit. All prizes not claimed by August 6th will be used in a future fundraiser.

The California Browncoats are offering the following prizes in our Thank You Prize Drawing. Many of these items were donated by generous companies and individuals. Please visit our Comic-Con 2008 sponsor page for a list of donors. See our Prize Drawing Rules page for details on how to enter.

Prize Drawing Winners and Ticket Numbers

Lorelei T. – Claimed

Lindsay A. – Claimed

John H. – Claimed

Gail L. – Claimed

Bill S. – 7134613

Thizbee – Contacted

Hunter A. – Contacted

Frank D. – Contacted

Alex Z. – Claimed

Jean B. – 5135748

Rob C. – Contacted

Roberto M. – Claimed

Whitney D. – Contacted

Richard S. – 7134855

Rogue S. -Claimed

Jan H. – 5135911

Patrick M. – Contacted

Robyn C. – 7134517

Rosie L. – Claimed

Angela G. – Contacted

If you are one of the winning ticket holders and have not yet contacted us, please send us an email before August 10th.

14.
Original limited edition 2007 official Serenity blueprints set by QmX – donated by CruiseToMars.Com
Great Big Comics’ Voyages of the She Buccaneer: Tombs of Eden no.1 signed by Bill Hughes, with postcard – donated by Thad G.
Sarah Connor Chronicles autographed cast photo – donated by James Riley
Serenity role playing game book signed by Jamie Chambers – donated by Margaret Weis Productions

The California Browncoats will once again have a wide range of events and appearances planned at Comic-Con. Check below for our schedule of events. We will be updating this page as we receive appearance confirmation and information.

Special Guest Appearances

PJ Haarsma – Author of The Softwire series and co-founder of Kids Need to Read. In addition to PJ signing at the booth, he is also going to volunteer! You’ll have a chance to meet him and talk about his books, KNTR and possibly hear some great stories. Signing times for PJ are:

Thursday 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Friday 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Saturday 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Sunday 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Felicia Day – Actress, writer, producer, musician and gamer. Felicia will be appearing at our tables to promote her internet series, The Guild and Joss Whedon’s upcoming internet musical, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-a-Long Blog. She is scheduled to appear throughout the weekend. See the Guild signing times below for Felicia’s schedule.

The Cast of The Guild – At various times the cast of The Guild will be appearing at our booth. Expect to find Vincent Caso (BLADEZZ, the Rogue/Thief), Jeff Lewis (Vork, Guildmaster), Amy Okuda (TINKERBALLA, the Ranger), Sandeep Parikh (ZABOO, the Warlock) and Robin Thorsen (CLARA, the Mage) hanging out with the Browncoats.

Sunday – 12:00 – 2:00 PM – Browncoat Meeting Room, Felicia Day will be doing a book reading and talk about The Guild

The cast members in the parentheses may be at or around the CABC booth during the specified times. Also, Felicia Day will be visiting the booth throughout Friday, as her schedule permits. (She’ll be busy with Dr. Horrible stuff.)

Kevin J. Anderson & Rebecca Moesta – Kevin has written or co-written over 90 novels including the new Dune series, The Saga of the Seven Suns, the Star Wars “Jedi Academy” series, and more. Rebecca, his wife and frequent co-author has written a Buffy the Vampire Slayer novel, 3 in the Junior Jedi Knight series, and with Kevin she has co-written Crystal Doors, 14 Young Jedi Knights novels and more. We are very happy to welcome Kevin and Rebecca to the booth as novelists of many books aimed at children and young adults, the audience that Kids Need to Read targets for their mission. Kevin and Rebecca’s signing time at the booth is:

Saturday 2:30 – 3:30 PM

Nancy Holder – Nancy is a best-selling author, professor and mom. She has written over80 books, most in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel and Smallville universes. She also has written the Pretty Freekin Scary series, numerous short stories and articles, and co-written the Wicked series with Debbie Viguie. On top of all that she also teaches creative writing at the University of California at San Diego, including a course devoted to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Nancy will also be doing a reading with her daughter during the Browncoat Meeting room on Sunday.

Thursday 12:00 – 1:00 PM

Sunday – 12:00 – 2:00 PM – Browncoat Meeting Room 24A

Shawna Trpcic- A fan favorite costumer designer for having worked on such shows as Angel, Point Pleasant, K-Ville and Firefly. She is also the designer on Joss Whedon’s just released Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog and the upcoming Dollhouse. Designed famous items such as Illyria’s costume and Mal’s Browncoat.

Friday 10:30 – 11:30 AM (tentative)

Jaime Chambers and Lindsay Archer – Jaime (writer) and Lindsay (artist) both worked on the Serenity Role Playing Game. They have also worked on a lot of other projects for Margaret Weis Productions, including Supernatural, Dragonlance and Battlestar Galactica RPGs. Stop by and get your RPG signed, and maybe hear some news about upcoming releases in the Serenity ‘verse.

Meeting Room

We will once again have a meeting room on Sunday afternoon from 12:00 – 2:00 PM in Room 24A (same as always). Items on the schedule of events include announcements about upcoming California Browncoat events and charity auctions. Expect news on new products from companies like Dark Horse Comics and Quantum Mechanix. PJ Haarsma will be on hand to give us the scoop on Kids Need to Read, the charity he co-founded. He will also be one of the authors (and Felicia Day!) who will do live book readings. Currently scheduled to do a reading is PJ, Felicia, Nancy Holder and her daughter Belle, Kevin Anderson and Rebecca Moesta and more! Felicia will also let us know what’s going on with The Guild. There will be news from the Ariel Ambulance, the 76th Battalion, Browncoat Ball, Creation’s Firefly/Serenity Salute and more! All this and your final chance to hang out with the Browncoats before any last minute shopping and the end of the convention.

Freebies!

We don’t want you to walk away from our tables empty handed (besides all the swag you purchase). That means we’ve got another free item you can pick up when you stop by and visit. This item will be in limited supply and given out at random times every day. But really, is it a bad thing stopping by multiple times during the convention?

“Jayne Hat” Flash Mob

Walk down the street and show everyone you’re not afraid of anything. Stop by the booth and ask a staff member for top secret information on how to join the Jayne Hat Flash Mob. All you will need is a few spare minutes, a Jayne Hat, and the fearlessness to wear such a cunning hat. Details will only be released on a need to know basis. Don’t worry if you miss one or don’t have a Jayne Hat yet, we’ll be mobbing daily and have some hats available for sale at the booth.

After Hours Browncoat Meet-up

We know it’s crazy and hectic every day at Comic-Con, and that you just want to rest and hang out with friends at night. We’ve researched the surrounding area and found a perfect spot for meeting up with other Browncoats. On Thursday, Friday ,and Saturday night, you’ll be able to find Browncoats relaxing and looking to meet others with the same love of the ‘verse in a pre-arranged spot. We’ll be meeting at the Marriott next door to the convention, at the seating area in front of DW’s Irish Pub. After you enter the Marriott, turn left toward the South Tower. Pass the gift shop, Hertz and Starbucks. DW’s will be on your left. Look for the tables with “Browncoat Friendly” signs and have fun!

You’ll also be able to pick up a handy little invite with these directions at our tables.

This meeting spot is also a perfect chance for locals not going to Comic-Con to meet the Browncoats invading their town.

The California Browncoats are proud to support The Kids Need to Read Foundation with our fundraiser at Comic-Con this year. In addition to taking donations for KNTR, we will be selling a Limited Edition of Serenity: Better Days #1 with an exclusive cover only available from CABC at Comic-Con.

The Kids Need to Read Foundation is a non-profit organization established in August 2007 by The Softwire series author PJ Haarsma and actor Nathan Fillion. Their mission statement is to purchase and provide books to libraries, schools, and other institutions in need. They also act to foster a love of reading in all children, encourage reading among reluctant readers, and look for new ideas to encourage childhood literacy. KNTR accomplishes their mission by hosting eBay auctions, selling literacy-themed and “Kindness is a Strength” items, and various other fundraising activities. They then use those funds to buy books from an official book list that includes a variety of well-reviewed books for children and teens.

“When I first traveled across North America to promote The Softwire, my initial excitement quickly turned to dismay when I witnessed the lack of book funds available to schools and libraries. Children would follow me into the parking lot after my presentation begging for a book they couldn’t afford while teachers and librarians scrambled to find funds for even a single copy. I came across many a teacher who took the money out of his/her own pocket just so the kids could have the book in their library. It was this disturbing trend that prompted me to establish the Kids Need to Read project as a way to fight back. It is our dream to fill library shelves with great books so that no child lacks for amazing stories to inspire their imaginations.” – PJ Haarsma, Author

“Growing up, my parents managed to show me the importance of reading without cramming it down my throat. A difficult task, I’m sure. It breaks my heart to think that there are kids out there, ready to have their imaginations lit on fire, excited and wanting to read, and facing naked shelves in their school or local libraries. Rather than complain or wait till the system stops failing our nation’s children, this is a matter I feel we must take into our own hands. There are children, right now, waiting— wanting to read. What shall we tell them? I support Kids Need To Read because it fosters a desire to learn, the process of self-improvement, and the chance for children’s minds to grow. What will you do?” – Nathan Fillion, Actor

The California Browncoats are proud to announce that the silent auction we ran during the Browncoat Cruise raised $1,750 for The Al Wooten Jr. Heritage Center. 200 Browncoats from around the world travelled the seas and donated to a worthy cause.The total amount raised was not only received from the silent auction winnings, but from other attendees who donated during the cruise, and in the following weeks.

Ron Glass was a special guest on the cruise and he saw first hand just how generous and giving Browncoats can be. We would like to thank everyone who bid in the auction, the winning bidders, all those who donated, and the companies who donated prizes.

A complete list of auction items, winning bidders and amounts can be found on our Browncoat Cruise page (coming soon).

In a tradition started at the first Browncoat fan table at Comic-Con, the California Browncoats raised money for Equality Now at WonderCon 2008 in San Francisco.Equality Now is the favorite charity of Firefly/Serenity creator Joss Whedon, and CABC is honored to add our support.With the combined money received during WonderCon from donations and special sales items, we are proud to send $2,300 to Equality Now.

We would like to thank all fans who donated, played Browncoat Bingo, and bought the special keychains and shirts.We also owe thanks to all the companies who provided prizes for our Thank You Prize Drawing.A complete list of prizes can be found on our WonderCon page.

The California Browncoats are proud to announce our sponsorship of the SoCal Browncoats Can’t Stop the Serenity screenings. This global fundrasier is in it’s third year and all proceeds support Equality Now. The SoCal Browncoats will be holding 3 screenings the weekend of June 20th. There will be 1 screening each in Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties. For more information on the screenings, please use the links below.

The remaining committee positions for Comic-Con 2008 have been filled. Still want to help?

We are in need of volunteers Wednesday, July 23rd through Sunday, July 27th, for setup, manning the booth, and teardown. We’ll work with you so that you don’t miss any exciting events at the Con, so if you’d like to help the California Browncoats create a warm inviting presence, send Dwight an email at: volunteer@californiabrowncoats.org

We have filled all the positions on the 2008 California Browncoat Comic-Con Fan Table Committee. We are already hard at work to bring you another year of the best fan tables around, otherwise known as “The Ethel Merman of booths”. Stay tuned for updates, how you can help, exclusives, celebrity appearances, the charity fund-raiser, prizes, give-aways and more!

As always, we look to you in the Browncoat fandom to help us put together the fan tables at Comic-Con and WonderCon. If you are interested in being on a committee, make sure to check out how on our Volunteer page.

Can’t get enough of Jayne and his stuff? Here’s another chance for you to own a piece of Firefly history. Adam Baldwin is auctioning off THE Jayne Hat to benefit the Marine Corps – Law Enforcement Foundation.

Fans of Firefly will recognize this hat as the one Jayne Cobb received from his Ma in the episode “The Message.”

The auction for THE Jayne Hat will start on September 24, 2008 and will run until October 4. SOLD!!!! The hat sold for an amazing $4,707.57!

The MCLEF uses donated funds to provide assistance “to children of Marines or Federal law enforcement personnel who were killed on duty or died under extraordinary circumstances while serving our country at home or abroad. These funds enable us to provide these children with scholarships for their higher education.”

WonderCon 2009 is February 27th – March 1st. The California Browncoats will be at tables F6 & F7.

We will be raising money for Equality Now, and you can donate in a few different ways.

Straight Donation – If you give us money for Equality Now, 100% of it will get to them.

WonderCon 2006 T-Shirt – Purchase this CABC exclusive shirt and all proceeds will be donated to Equality Now

Firefly Kanji Keychain – Purchase this 2007 CABC exclusive and all proceeds will be donated to Equality Now

Limited Edition Exclusive 4gb USB Flash Drive!!

Side 1 – Keep Flyin’ Side 2 – “Firefly” in Chinese

This exclusive flash drive is our gift to you when you donate $30 or more to Equality Now. It is limited to 75 pieces. Included on the drive is a donation receipt and information about Equality Now and California Browncoats, Inc.

Summer Glau (River Tam) will be appearing at WonderCon with other members of the Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles cast and crew. Fans of the Terminator franchise are already being exposed to the Browncoats. Check out ArnoldFans.com and see for yourself. We can continue to bring more fans into the Browncoats by letting all the Terminator fans know where Summer got her start.

The Crossroads: Part II script donated by Mark Sheppard went for $1,200.00 on eBay. After eBay and Paypal fees. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital received $1,160.26. Thank you to Mark, all those who signed the script, all those who bid, and especially to the winning bidder.

Mark Sheppard has generously donated a Battlestar Galactica script from the episode Crossroads: Part II for us to auction and raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The auction will be on eBay and run from October 31st until November 10th.

The California Browncoats are going to have a booth at the upcoming Serenity Salute Convention on October 27-28th. For more information check out Creation Entertainment. We will have a table to promote our group and charity work, as well as a panel to discuss our history and future projects. We will also be involved in the trivia contests. Check out the Creation site for more details on the convention and to buy tickets.

New! The California Browncoats are very excited to team up with QMx to bring you your VERY FIRST opportunity to buy their newly created, just announced, Serenity Travel Posters! Click image for to swoon over more detail.

And if you stop by on Thursday, artist Adam Levermore-Rich will be at the table signing these gorgeous posters!
Be the first in your ranks to get your hands on these limited edition items!

Saturday night the California Browncoats want you to join us to party! Following the Once More With Feeling sing-a-long, continue the party as the California Browncoats party down San Diego style! This is a great chance for locals who aren’t coming to the convention to come out and meet the Browncoats who have traveled here from all over the world. Watch this space for details about where and when the party will happen.

UPDATE!
Party location set for Manchester Grand Hyatt at 11:30pm. Turn left when you exit the Convention Center, the Hyatt is the second hotel down the road.

Dinner with nine strangers! We’ve got a really fun event planned which will be a great way for Browncoats to get to meet new people and eat at least one full meal while at the Con! Friday evening we are making dinner reservations at various local restaurants for 10 people at a time. Come by the California Browncoats booth, A7/A8, before the dealer room closes on Friday to sign up for a seat at one of the tables. When you arrive at the restaurant you’ll meet with nine other Browncoats and enjoy fine food and great Browncoat company!

Tip: Please try and bring cash to make paying the bill easier because we won’t be able to split the check 10 ways.

Fans new and old are welcome to join the California Browncoats in our meeting room, Sunday July 29th, from 2:30 to 4:30 in room 24A. Here we will announce our prize drawing winners! Tickets for the drawing are available at our table A7 and A8.

After the winners are announced, stay to hear from some of the movers and shakers in the ‘Verse as they tell you about upcoming events and products you’ll really love. Be there for a special announcement about another joint campaign between the California Browncoats and Adam Baldwin. And last but not least, come to hang out with all the great Browncoats at the Con! Please note, you must have a Comic-Con badge to attend the meeting.

JUST ADDED! Adam Levermore-Rich, artist for Black Market Beagle designs, creator of the Little Damn Heroes, as well as many more fan favorite products, will be signing at the table on Thursday from 3:30-4:30pm. Check out the Serenity Travel Posters just released!!

Tim Minear, Executive Producer for Firefly, as well as fan favorites Wonderfalls, The Inside and most recently Drive. Tim will be signing at the Browncoat table for the very first time! Bring your box set of any of his shows or pick up a copy of the Firefly Visual Companion at our table. Tim will be signing on Saturday from 12:30-1:30pm.

Susan Tomb, talented fan artist known as 11th Hour will be signing at the Browncoat table. Susan was the creative force behind the guerrilla marketing posters of Firefly and Serenity, the artist for the Serenity Role Playing Game, as well as many other beautifully designed pieces, like the blue Comic-Con Exclusive Mug the California Browncoats have created to benefit St Jude Children’s Research Hospital! Susan will be signing on Saturday from 11:00am-12:00pm.

Keith R.A. DeCandido, author of the novelization of the movie Serenity and many other novels including works in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Star Trek series will be signing at our booth. The Browncoat booth will have copies of Finding Serenity available for purchase, an anthology in which Keith has an article. If you’d like to purchase copies of the Serenity novelization or other books by Keith to have him autograph please see our friends at the Mysterious Galaxy booth, #1123. Keith will be signing Friday from 4pm to 5pm.

Nancy Holder, author of Buffy and Angel novels such as Blood and Fog and Not Forgotten, will join us at our table again this year! Don’t forget to also check out the new series she promoted at our table last year, book two, Daughter of the Flames, is already out. Nancy will grace us with her presence on Friday from 2:30pm – 3:30pm.

Brett Matthews, author or Those Left Behind and the Firefly episode Heart of Gold, as well as other comics like The Lone Ranger, will be doing his first signing at our table this year! If you don’t already have a copy of the first Serenity trade paperback, don’t worry you can purchase one at our booth. Brett will be signing on Friday from 12pm – 1pm.

We’re back! The “Ethel Merman of booths” returns to share the love and genius that is the ‘Verse, in true Browncoat fashion.

This is the only place you can pre-order one of our limited edition Comic-Con exclusive item mugs! Order now and guarantee yourself a low number, and pick it up at the con. Also, find out how you can enter the online-only prize drawing to win an amazing prize pack filled with shiny prizes! Get the details here.

At tables A7 and A8 in the dealers room, we’ll have your favorite merch, all the latest info and happenings, celebrity signings, and of course our spectacular prize drawing once again! To add to that we’ll be having our very own Comic-Con meetup, and just a few surprises still in store for you.

Joss has very strong opinions on the rights and status of women in this ‘verse. Equality Now works to end violence and discrimination against women and girls around the world. We all love Firefly’s strong female characters and the Serenity movie, so Browncoats are bringing all these aspects together in a night of community fundraising and silver-screen entertainment. Check the CSTS site for screenings in your area.

The California Browncoats are gearing up once more to bring you an exciting year of screenings, convention booths and fundraisers.

Castle Charity ConventionThis convention is a one day charity event to be held on Saturday November 12, 2011, in Los Angeles, California to support a variety of charities. CABC is teaming up with CastleTV.net to bring you this shiny event to do good works. For more information, check out: http://castleconvention.com

Follow us on Twitter: The California Browncoats will be live tweeting from our events and screenings. It’s the best way to know about surprise guests, special announcements and maybe something a little more… Follow CABC to stay up to date so you don’t miss a thing!